AN UNEXPECTED TURN
by writenit
Summary: An elderly couple returns from vacation to find a dead stranger in their entrance way.


An Unexpected Turn

Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Myers, arriving home from a week's vacation, noticed the front door of their townhouse slightly ajar. Carrying two suitcases, the elderly man pushed open the front door and entering fell over a large object in the foyer. Martha Myers, hearing the fall, immediately ran in and turned on the hall light, only to see her husband on the floor, with shirt and hands covered in blood, lying next to the body of a woman who was obviously dead. Quickly jumping up, he joined his wife and both stood in stunned silence.

"Who is she and why is she in our house?" Martha asked.

"I don't know. I have never seen her before."

Reaching for his cell phone, he called 911 and explained the situation to the patrolman on duty. He was told to get out of the house in case the killer was still there and that a Police car was on its way.

Detectives Benson and Ramos were on duty Sunday night when the call came in. Within fifteen minutes they arrived at the Myers residence. After securing the residence, they lead the Myers to the living room. Sitting on a chair opposite the sofa, Benson proceeded to take down their statements.

"We've been on a week's vacation in Florida, visiting our daughter and her family. Our flight home was delayed several hours due to bad weather. It was after 2:00 AM when we finally got home and found the door ajar." Clarence Myers explained. "When I went in, I fell over the body. We've never seen this person before."

Detective Benson asked them if there was someone they could stay with until they investigated further. The doorframe has to be replaced and the lock fixed. He thought they would be more comfortable spending the night somewhere else. Mr. and Mrs. Myers, having a son in the area, agreed and provided the detectives with his name and address. Putting their suitcases back in their car, they drove out of the court as an ambulance entered.

Inside the house the two detectives proceeded to compare notes. Detective Ramos showed Benson a small leather purse. He told him that the woman had been shot in the back of the head and the purse was found under the body. "We found her driver's license with the name Kate Radmore and her address is 16 Cameron Court."

"This is an odd case. A retired couple in their 70's returning from a week's vacation, finds their house broken into, nothing taken, a dead woman in the foyer that neither knew, an address with the same number but a different court. How did she get here and why?" Detective Benson wondered. Running the victim's name through the Motor Vehicles Administration confirmed that she owned a car with a Maryland license plate. They checked the parking lot in front of the Myer's townhouse but came up empty.

The next morning back at the station Detective Ramos contacted the cab companies only to find that no calls were made to that address. They now knew she had a car, but had no knowledge of its whereabouts. Having called 16 Cameron Court several times but receiving no answer, Benson and Ramos made a visit to 16 Cameron Court with a search warrant.

Using the keys in her purse they entered her house which was clean, organized, and nothing out of place. She obviously lived alone. The neighbor who told them she knew little about Ms. Radmore. She had moved in only two weeks ago but she seemed to be a nice quiet lady. The neighbor said that she thought that she worked at Colonial Country Club, about two miles up the road.

Getting back in the car, Detective Benson told Ramos he was baffled with the case. "I still can't figure why she was in the Myers's house. There has to be some connection with Mr. and Mrs. Myers and where is her car?"

"You don't think there could be a connection with Mr. Myers do you?" Ramos asked.

"At 70, I can't imagine what the connection can be. He is retired so there would be no business connection and seeing him and his wife together I am sure that she is never more than two feet away from him. Their car was still warm when we first got there, so they were telling the truth about just getting home."

"I guess you're right. We need to find that car. I checked the Police impound lots and found no car with that license plate. "

"Let's get some lunch and then visit the Colonial Country Club. Maybe someone there can tell us more about our victim," Detective Benson told him starting the car.

Later that afternoon, arriving at the country club, they showed their ID's, and asked to speak to the manager. Making a quick call, the receptionist told them to go right in.

Mr. Donatelli, a short man in his mid-forties, with a stocky built, shook hands with Detectives Benson and Ramos and introduced them to Mr. Fred Summers from the Accounting Department. He asked them to take a seat. "We were just going over some accounts. I hope you don't mind if he stays."

"Not at all. It's not a personal matter," Detective Benson said as he sat in one of the chairs facing the desk. "This visit concerns one of your employees, Kate Radmore."

"She's my Assistant Manager. She has been with this club for the last ten years. She is not in yet, but is expected later this evening we're catering a rehearsal dinner."

"I am sorry to inform you that she was found murdered, shot in the head. No arrests have been made as we are still investigating the case."

"I can't believe this. This is a terrible shock. What happened?" Mr. Donatelli asked. Mr. Summers seemed equally shaken and explained that she was a lovely person and that her death would be deeply felt not only by the staff, but by all the members of the club. Is there something that I can help you with?"

"Do have members of the club by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Myers?" Asked Detective Ramos.

"Mr. Summers works in the Accounts Receivable department and can answer that question. Working in Accounts Receivable he knows all of the members names through the billing."

Mr. Summers, leaning forward, informed them that the club had no members by that name.

"When did you last see Ms. Radmore?" Detective Ramos asked Mr. Donatelli.

"She was on duty to close the club Saturday; yesterday was her day off. I left about 5:00PM. Probably the last person to see her would have been Bill Bradley, our security guard. He locked up the building a little after 1 AM. He is in the club now if you want to talk to him. I can have the receptionist page him. "

"I would appreciate that," Detective Ramos said as he and Benson thanked him for his time as they left his office.

Bill Bradley, a retired Police Officer, always locked up on Saturday nights. He told them it was a rainy windy night and that he had walked Kate to her car.

Both Detectives looked at each other with a wide grin. At last someone saw the car, but its whereabouts was still a mystery. What happened to the car after Kate Radmore left the club and what was the connection between Kate Radmore and Mr. and Mrs. Myers? The car seemed to have disappeared in the two miles between the country club and their house.

Back at the precinct, Benson and Ramos felt they had exhausted all their leads and they were still no closer to solving the crime.

"What we have now is a victim that everyone loved. She was well organized, a hard worker, and had just moved into a new house. According to the receptionist at the club she had no problems in her personal life. It looks like the car disappeared in the two miles between the country club and the Myer's house. I don't know about you but this is the worst case I've ever been on," Benson said putting his head down on his desk.

Tuesday morning, Captain Leland called the two detectives to a 9AM meeting in his office, to discuss the Kate Radmore case.

"Mrs. Myers has called me three times to inquire about the body found in her house. So far I have seen no progress. I have to tell her something. What is the status on this case?"

"So far we have nothing," Detective Benson said.

"That's not an answer. Get moving and solve this case, NOW. These people don't feel safe in their house and they're staying with their son until the case is solved. Their Daughter-in-Law has called three times begging me to hurry and solve this crime so that her Mother- in- Law could return home. These women are driving me crazy. Get out of here and solve this crime before I have a nervous breakdown," Captain Leland yelled banging his fist on his desk.

"There must be something we are not seeing," Benson said as he sat at his desk. He told Ramos to call and see if any other crimes were called in for Saturday for the area between the country club and the townhouse development. The Sargent at the front desk read him the list which contained two domestic disputes, a car accident, and a jewelry store robbery and shooting at the Plaza shopping center.

"Nothing looks good but it was worth a try. Let's go back to the Myers's house. Maybe we missed something."

Looking through the Myers's house again presented no clues. Everything was in place, and no sign that a struggle took place. It looked like she was shot somewhere else and just dumped inside the front door.

"I don't think she was in any other part of the house. Why leave her at 16 Marwood instead of 16 Cameron?" Detective Benson asked Ramos as they headed down the front steps.

A man in his late 20's, wearing a jogging suit, and with a beagle on a leash, stopped and asked the Detectives how the Myers were doing. He said the whole street had heard what had happened and felt bad for Clarence and Martha. "They're very nice neighbors and to have something like this break-in, to happen to them at their age, is very disturbing. I hope you guys have luck solving this case as the whole neighborhood is on edge," he said trying to keep the dog still.

Detective Benson told him they trying their best. They will be glad when everyone can get a good night's sleep especially them. "Did you notice anything unusual over the weekend?"

"This is a pretty quiet neighborhood but I was a little annoyed Sunday morning. I was taking the dog out early in the morning when some guy pulled into my wife's parking space while she was at Church. I told him that he could not park there because the places in front of these houses are reserved and that he was in my wife's parking space. He seemed really annoyed. Another car was in back of him. I guess the guy was going to leave his car there and then go off in his friend's car for the day. I waited until I saw him drive off down the street. I thought he had some nerve to leave his car in front of someone's house on the weekend. Benson asked if he could describe the men. "One was heavy set, a big guy with short black hair, dark complexion. He looks like he could hold his own in a fight. The car was dark green with Maryland plates. I just glanced at the car following him but did not get a good look at the driver."

"Thanks for the input," Benson said.

"I better get going before my dog pulls my arm off. If I can be of any help, just knock on my door. I'm three houses down."

Benson and Ramos headed back to the precinct, a little closer to solving the case. They now knew that someone was driving her car. Entering the station, the desk sergeant told them that a call had come in that he thought they should hear. He told them a woman who lived on Marwood Court called in saying that a car had been abandoned in the woods at the end of her street. She had taken her kids to the park early this morning and in the wooded section saw an abandoned car, about fifty feet from the area set aside for the children's playground. She says it's dangerous, with so many children running around. She wants the police to tow it out of there. "Maybe this is your missing car," he said.

With a spark of renewed enthusiasm, Benson and Ramos hurried back to Marwood Court, just in time to see the car, bearing Kate Radmore's license plate being pulled onto a Police tow truck. They gave instructions to dust the entire car for fingerprints. "All we have to do then is just put the pieces together. In the meantime let's get the man with the dog to go through the book of mug shots and hopefully pick out the driver trying to park in his wife's space," Detective Ramos said.

Later that day the lab called with fingerprint findings belonging to a Sammy Desanto, a known criminal with an extensive police record. Detective Benson, on hearing this, felt like the puzzle might be starting to fall into place and told Ramos to get a copy of Desanto's mug shot and meet him at the car. "I want to show the picture to the man with the dog and see if he can identify Desanto as the driver of Radmore's car."

The jogger identified Desanto. They returned to the station, and obtaining a search warrant paid a visit to Mr. Desanto's house, arresting him on suspicion of murder. Claiming he knew nothing about any murder, he refused to say another word without his lawyer being present. With Desanto on his way to the Police Station, the detectives searched his place, looking for anything that would connect Kate Radmore with Sammy Desanto. In the drawer of a bedside table they found a gun. Since Desanto was a convicted felon, without a license to own a gun, they took the gun into evidence. Hopefully, it was the murder weapon.

Arriving back at the station, they found Desanto's lawyer already there, waiting with him in the interrogation room. Introducing himself, he quickly told Detective Benson that his client had no connection with any crime. He was not acquainted in any way with the murdered woman. Detective Benson, sitting down at the table and spreading out his notes asked Desanto how his fingerprints were found on the victim's car. Smugly Desanto told him that just passing the car in the parking lot he could have touched the car. "Hundreds of people leave their fingerprints on other cars." Smiling he sat back in his chair.

"That they do, but not on the inside of a car. Your prints are all over the inside of Kate Radmore's car. We found the car in the woods by the Marwood Court playground and we have a witness who has identified you as the driver. Your first mistake was pulling into a reserved parking space earlier this morning."

Hearing this news the smile on his face suddenly left and he confessed to stealing the car.

"Where did you steal the car?" Detective Benson asked.

With a smug look on his face he answered "I stole it from a gas station." His attorney then knew that his client had made a big mistake. Gas stations have security cameras.

Detective Benson said glancing at his notes " I find it hard to believe that you were wondering around a closed shopping mall between one and two in the morning since you were looking to steal a car. You had to have driven there or someone drove you. It is approximately two miles from the Colonial Country Club to Kate Radmore's house and the only gas station in those two miles is in the Plaza shopping center. This puts you at the scene of a jewelry store murder and robbery. Another car was with you when you drove the car into the woods. We not only have your fingerprints on the car but we also found a gun in your house which ballistics matched the gun used to shoot Kate Radmore and also the manager of the jewelry store that was robbed.

Desanto sat quietly as his lawyer leaned over and told him that the evidence was overwhelming and that he could get the death penalty. He advised him to make a deal and give them what they want, in return for dropping the death penalty. Detective Benson offered the deal and getting the district attorney's approval taped the confession.

"I'll tell you right now that I'm confessing to the robbery but I didn't kill anyone. A week ago a friend of mine, from the old days, called me with what looked like a great offer. He said he wrangled a job in the Accounting department of Colonial Country Club. It was rumored around the club that one of the members had just received a delivery of diamonds for his jewelry store in the Plaza center. He told me that the Plaza was deserted late at night and that we could break in. I could open the safe, be out in no time with a sack of diamonds. It sounded like a good deal but things didn't go as planned. The store looked dark, but when we broke in and opened the safe, the manager came in. He had been working in a room at the back of the store. He recognized the club Accountant and Fred pulled out a gun and shot him. I didn't expect this and my first thought was to get out of the store. I was shaking but Fred Summers was cool as a cucumber as he grabbed the diamonds and headed to the car. Driving toward the exit a woman appeared out of nowhere, waving her arms in the center of the exit lane. Fred had the window down and she recognized him from the club. She told him she had just closed the club and was on her way home when she got a flat tire and pulled into the plaza. Getting out of the car and looking at the flat, he told her that he knew that she lived nearby. She told him that it was 16 Cameron court. He said that he would drive her home and in the morning, when the rain stopped, he would come back, fix the flat and drive it to her house. Coming back to the car he introduced me as his cousin and told me to get in the back seat as he was going to drive Kate home. Sitting in the back, I saw Fred hold the door open for her and when she turned he shot her in the back of the head and pushed her into the front seat. I sat stunned in the back seat.

I screamed at him "What have you done?" He pulled the car over and told me to calm down. Taking the silencer off of the gun he told me that he had no choice. He said that she was the Assistant Manager where he worked. The news of the shooting and robbery at the jewelry store would be all over the club and that she would put us at the scene of the crime. We both have police records. He told me that we had to take her to her house. It would look like she interrupted a home invasion robbery. He told me we would put her car in front of her house early in the morning and drive off free and clear. He was going to keep the diamonds and I was to keep the gun as a pledge of good faith. He would hold the diamonds and I would hold the gun that proved he killed two people. That would assure me he would not disappear with my share of the diamonds. After a few weeks, when the excitement died down, he would take his vacation and we would meet in Bermuda and fence the diamonds. When we got to Cameron court we had to break her lock as the key would not work. We then pushed her body right inside the door and left.

"That's everything that happened. The rest you already know," Desanto told them as the recorder was turned off.

"There is just one part of your story I have trouble with. The body was placed at 16 Marwood Court and not 16 Cameron Court," Detective Benson said.

"Fred was driving the car. She told him that she lived at 16 Cameron Court. I don't know why he went to Marwood Court. That's probably why her key did not fit," Desanto said as he was taken from the interrogation room.

"I sure would like to have the last piece of this puzzle," Detective Benson told Detective Ramos as they walked to their car.

The next day the two detectives paid a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Myers to tell them that the case was solved. Captain Leland was glad to know that the Myers had finally moved back into Marwood Court as was her daughter in law. Hearing all of the details of the case, Clarence and Martha Myers breathed a sigh of relief. "This has been a very good day for us. The case is solved, and this morning the street sign at the entrance to the development was finally fixed," Martha Myers said.

"What street sign?" Detective Benson asked.

"For the last couple of months, every time we get heavy rain storms with high winds, the arrows at the top of the pole spin around and point in opposite directions. I told our Citizen's Association to please get someone to tighten the screw at the top of the pole and finally this morning someone did."

Detective Benson and Detective Ramos looking at each other with a broad grin realized that they had finally found the last piece in the puzzle. Because of an unexpected turn, the case was finally solved. The arrow for Cameron would now always point to the right and the arrow for Marwood would always point to the left.


End file.
